The amphibian

Believe me... I Had ENOUGH!

It's 4:28am on Thursday morning, and here I am still sitting in the office, waiting for FUCKING approval from my client on the ads that is scheduled to publish on Friday.

I can't stress this anymore VOCAL... but BELIEVE ME... I HAD ENOUGH!

People, please at least cheer for me that I had finally realise and understood how meaningless it is for me to stay up late partically every nights, for the past 3 and a half year working like a slave for the company and the client. While my family, friends, and my life have been VERY MUCH NEGLECTED. It’s definitely a fool of me to finally become conscious. I should be SHOT in my head!

Back track to yesterday morning at around 11am, my client called to tell me that they have decided to do a Mother’s Day ad, in which was totally not communicated to us when we first developed the Parents’ Day campaign. If the matter were better well preempted earlier, we could have incorporated it as part of the strategy, however, truth was not told, and here we are suffering for the consequences. Worst of all is to have gotten back fired and bitten by client exclaiming that we were not well aware of the category movement.

Second call I received from the client yesterday was told to deliver the visual of the ad by 3pm on the same day. In no spilt second, I shouted to the client – Qi Xin (means crazy in Cantonese). Almost slam down the phone at my client, but being a servicing personnel, I have to act calm and professional under this kind of circumstances. And seriously, I FAILED QUITE MISERABLY.

You see. I do put efforts to PR my client during leisure time, bringing them out for karaoke, drinking session, spend them lunch, buy them gifts when I’m oversea, and etc. But well, when it comes to a serious business dealing level, I just simply can’t put my dignity away to bound down to their ridiculous request. I am afterall, a human with fresh flesh and blood.

The moment I heard the ridiculous request, I already know I am going to get bombarded by creative team as soon as I break the news to them. True enough, everyone was annoyed with the idea I just put them through, however, after much persuasion internally, I have managed to get my team to agree on delivering the visual, at least on the same day.

But, my nightmare doesn’t just end there. Client, on the other hand, kept calling me and chase me for delivering the visual by 3pm, by hook or by crook. Our conversation started to get more and more intense, when I insisted that the 3pm dateline is not even FUCKING possible (of course I did not tell them that, I still have same saint in me), but will try to get it out before end of the day (like before 12am).

Client gave in in the end.

Then come today, client called and asked for minor changes early 9pm. Took the brief, get the visual done, and sent it to them sometime after lunch. Concurrently, FA is already in the midst of developing, because my dateline waits for no man!

Come 6pm. Client called again.

Asking to change the picture of a product. They wanted to use one of the picture that was shot before, sometime December last year. And they insist. I tried explained to them in many many many ways that it is not possible to get the hi-res picture in at this time because it is already off working hours. And imagine if we were to also insist the photographer to do the same thing, it is utmost seen very FUCKING unprofessional.

So then again, I argue with client. Suggested that they do DI instead for this time round. Finally they agreed.

15 minutes later. Client called again. This time talking about DI costing. Client couldn’t settle with the cost. And they think it is ultimately our FAULT that we did not keep the hi-res picture with us.

My tolerance level just went flooded, soon enough, I exploded. I couldn’t care less anymore, but to explain the entire situation to her again in the ultimate sarcastic way – “you are not listening to me, I said, we don’t keep hi-res picture unless we have used it before. It is definitely the most stupid thing to do to keep all the hi-res picture in our server wasting space when they are not going to be use and not sure when to be use. Our server have better things to do than wasting space, like, storing the important picture that were output before. In any urgent case, we are able to pull out hi-res picture anytime to save a life”, I said with much courage.

Client keep silent for a while… and said ok, but next time we should keep all still. And they insist.

I went totally speechless and berserk.

20 minutes later, around 11pm. Client called again. This time, they wanted to change background color, and wanted to see some color options, after so many round of FAs being sent over for approval.

My diva mood kicks in and I became even crankier, too bad to myself only. Because I kept reminding myself, I am a FUCKING account servicing personnel. I have to listen to their point-of-view.

So I did listen to them commenting, but it all went out through my right ear.

Without much choice, I still did it. For the sake of getting things done, so the team and I can go off earlier, to rest, and have dinner, after a long hard day. Yes, we, up till now still did not have our dinner yet.
Then suddenly, my client called again, this time was the marketing manger. Called from home (yes, both the client were already at home in their most comfortable attire, had dinner, watching movie, but us the slave, still working in the office like there’s no tomorrow). Asking me to convert the PDF to JPEG for her. I answered in a very rush manner , like - erm, ok…yes, ok, erm, ok …. and bye, in a very flat tone, while I was typing some urgent mails away. After I put down the phone, I quickly converted the file for her in less than 5 minutes, thenafter, everything were already in her mailbox. The next thing I know is…

Client called again.

This time the executive told me, that why am I being rude to the boss. I totally went…WHAT THE FUCK?

I didn’t bother to explain myself as I was too tired to. Dealing with the shit is already enough to kill I don’t want to go through the explaining myself, so I just replied her – “Huh? Got meh? Issit? Oh… ok”

Soon after I hung up, I cursed ‘FUCK YOU’ in the most FUCKING VOCAL way. And I was thinking, who are they to judge me, when I am the person here trying and giving my very best, at this wee hour to get things done, making sure that her ads get to run on the coming Friday? I could have been a bastard to just walk out the door, and pretend I forget about the dateline. But, I can’t, because responsibility haunts me!

Appreciation is what we are talking about! At the very least, client should show it in a very subtly manner, helping us to help them get things done in a nicer, less hassle, and smoother way. I seriously don’t mind the late nights, but at least make the process more bearable. Sometime, it also take the client to listen better so we all can work in harmony.

People nowadays have serious problem dealing with communication. They only choose to listen what they want to hear, others are just rubbish.

Great! How intellectual and helpful?!

I’m just tired. Really really tired. 2 years on this account has seriously squeezed me drained and dried.

Maybe I am just another typical Leo employee that likes to complain and taking the limelight?

In this case, I demur! I am tough, I am sensitive, I am proud, I am afterall a somebody. Most importantly, I had enough.

posted by Nicky Dominique @ 12:48 AM